There were over 200 ballplayers and over 15 teams, including one from Puerto Rico on 12 baseball fields at the new Seminole County Sports Complex this week outside of Orlando Florida. To the youngsters, coaches and parents, it is known as travel team baseball and win or lose an experience.

The Nations of Greater Orlando Baseball Tournament, first annual one with a round-robin elimination bracket, consisted of youngsters in different age brackets playing two or three games for two days this past Saturday and Sunday.

The sun shined early, temperatures both days near 100-degrees and that did not take away from the enjoyment and excitement of youth baseball which is an important component of the game. On one field at 8am there was a game in a bracket for 13 and under players, and an adjacent field kids aged 9 and under.

It was back-to-back baseball from morning until 7pm, with the highlight bracket of games for the 16 and under group.

The Bronx based T M Baseball Training Academy represented New York City and though there was some disappointment and the thrill of winning ballgames away from home. Some looked at this as an experience of taking their game on the road.

T M Select won three games in the 14 under group but failed to bring a championship home to the Bronx and lost games against teams from Illinois and various teams in the greater Orlando Florida area. Their stay and fees were possible with the support of parents and fund raising events and of course Tony and Jessy Melendez, founders of T M went that extra mile.

Author: Rich Mancuso
Rich has covered countless New York Mets and Yankees games along with some of the greatest boxing matches over the years.
His award winning sports column has been in the Bronx News (which recently folded) for 28 years. Mancuso also has been a sports journalist for the Associated Press, New York Daily News, Gannett Westchester newspapers, Boxing Digest Magazine, The Sports Network and Latinosports.com.
Bronxites will recall that Rich once hosted a sports talk television program, “Bronx Scoreboard” on Bronxnet Television. In addition, Mancuso recently concluded a four-year run hosting a sports talk program on the Whitney Broadcasting Network station WVOX.